


Tales from the Mantis

by TheOneWithItAll



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I have no idea where these are going, it was fun to write regardless, oh well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOneWithItAll/pseuds/TheOneWithItAll
Summary: Just some short stories of the Mantis crew following the events of Fallen Order.
Relationships: BD-1 & Cal Kestis, Cal Kestis & Merrin, Cere Junda & Cal Kestis, Cere Junda & Merrin, Greez Dritus & Cal Kestis
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	Tales from the Mantis

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have a set plan for these, but we'll see!

“Greez, where do you keep the extra chasuka?” Cere called out while rummaging through the storage compartments towards the back of the ship. She attempted to ask as nonchalantly as possible, knowing that she was unlikely to receive an answer.

“Nowhere you need to know about,” responded the husky Latero pilot. His answer came as no surprise to Cal, who by now was well-aware of Greez’s unwillingness to let anyone besides himself cook in the _Mantis_. “And don’t even think you’ll be able to find it! I’m saving it for a special occasion.”

Cal sat back in his seat and chuckled to himself, then noticed a look of confusion on Merrin’s face. He remembered that she hadn’t been with them long enough to know about Greez’s possessive nature when it came to all things cooking. “You’ll get used to our captain’s refusal to let anyone besides himself know where the food is.” 

He leaned in a little closer before continuing, “But, if you promise not to tell, I’ll show you where he keeps some snacks. I don’t think he knows that I know where they are, so we can’t go through them too quickly.” Cal had grown fond of their new Nightsister companion since she joined them a few weeks ago. She was still getting used to being around others, but she was warming up to her new friends very well. At least, as well as could be expected for someone who had been almost entirely alone since having all of her clan—her sisters—massacred years prior. He had tried his best to make her feel at home with their crew the same way Greez and Cere had for him.

“I can keep it a secret, Cal, though I’m not entirely sure I know what ‘snacks’ are.”

Cal almost let out a laugh but was able to restrain himself. He didn’t want to embarrass her. “Oh… well, snacks are food for in between meals. Like when you’re hungry, but not hungry enough to make a whole meal.”

Merrin looked even more confused. “You eat… even when it’s not mealtime?”

“Well, yeah, not a lot, but it’s nice to have something extra a little now and then.” Cal thought for a second about how Merrin probably ate as little as she could when she was alone on Dathomir. He himself was used to not eating regularly during the Clone Wars, and especially during his years on Bracca, but his time on the _Mantis_ had made him accustomed to eating regular meals. Still, he knew what it was like to go to bed hungry for long periods of time.

Cere stepping into the main compartment yanked Cal out of his memories. “Cal, can you help me look through these crates?”

“Cere!” Cal hissed. “What are you doing with those?” He leaned forward to make sure Greez was still in the cockpit. He immediately recognized the crates Cere had carried into the galley as the ones Greez stored non-perishable items. “You know Greez doesn’t let us mess with those! How’d you even find them?”

“There’s only so many places in this ship for our captain to hide them, Cal. You of all people should know that.” 

Cal noticed Merrin’s mouth grow into a smile. “It appears your hiding spot for… snacks isn’t a secret, Cal.” She turned to Cere, who was also grinning at the Nightsister’s dig. Cal rolled his eyes, checking again to make sure Greez wasn’t coming into the common area.

“Well, are you going to help?” Cere asked again.

“Yeah, but the second I hear Greez coming-“

“Don’t worry, I’ll take full responsibility. I’m the one that found them after all.”

Cal rose from his seat next to Merrin and approached the galley. “What are we looking for anyway? Chasuka?”

“Uh-huh,” Cere hummed while pawing through the crate nearest to her.

“What do you need it for? I don’t think I’ve ever actually had anything with it.”

Cere continued looking through her crate, pulling out larger items that kept her from seeing all the contents. “I don’t know the exact name of the dish, but it’s something Master Cordova and I would make on some of our journeys. It’s not an uncommon plant, but it wasn’t something we always had with us.”

Cere paused for a moment and looked up from her crate with a contemplative expression, then continued, “Whenever we came to a world where it grew, he would buy or pick some and we’d have a special meal.”

Cal could tell Cere was getting caught up in the past (possibly _too_ caught up), so he asked a question to get her out of her head. 

“W-what does it taste like?” “The chasuka, I mean.”

Cere snapped out of her state. “Oh, well it tastes a bit bitter at first, but it turns almost sweet after a moment. It does get stuck in your teeth, so watch out for that.”

Cal was relieved his question seemed to help Cere. Ever since he had met her, she had tried to seem distant—almost removed—from her former master, Eno Cordova, but occasionally he could tell that she would get stuck in the past. 

He had seen that look on his own face enough times to tell what it meant.

“I have never eaten it either,” said Merrin. “No plants on Dathomir lose their bitterness when you eat them. Many turn even more bitter to the taste once you start chewing.”

“Oh... well I guess one could get used to that,” Cal answered after a moment of silence. “I mean, I had to get used to mostly tasteless rations during the Clone Wars.”

“I know what you mean, Cal. The foods I ate during the various campaigns didn’t compare to the foods I enjoyed during my journeys with Master Cordova.”

Cal bit his tongue, hoping that Cere’s mention of her master would send her into another... state. It didn’t, thankfully.

“Here it is!” Cere exclaimed. “I knew Greez couldn’t keep it hidden forever.”

“Keep _what_ hidden forever?” came a gravelly voice from behind Cere.

Cal and Cere jumped slightly, realizing that their search through the food crates had been found out.

“Oh! Greez," Cal yelped. "Uh… well, we were… uh…”

Cere let out an exasperated sigh and interrupted Cal, not that he was actually saying anything. 

“I’m sorry, Greez. I know you prefer to do the cooking, but I thought we could change things up this time. There’s this meal that I-“

“Don’t bother explaining, Cere. BD-1 recorded part of your guys’ conversation and played it back for me up in the cockpit. I know what you’re up to.”

“Thanks a lot, buddy,” said Cal sarcastically to BD-1 as the little droid scampered up to the group shortly behind Greez. He hadn't noticed that he had snuck away early in his conversation with Cere and Merrin.

Greez continued after tapping the droid on its head. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that I… don’t have a problem with you cooking. As long as you clean up after yourself. And don’t waste any food! It’ll be a while before we hit another trading post.”

Cere and Cal were both dumbfounded by the captain’s statement. Even Merrin, who hadn’t been exposed nearly as much to Greez’s possessive nature of his galley, looked a bit stunned.

“Well don’t look too surprised.” Greez sighed. ”Look, I’ve realized that I may be a bit too clingy over the kitchen. Maybe it’s time I let someone else do some of the cooking. I’m still going to keep an eye on you the whole time, though.”

Cere, who had known Greez the longest out of them all, was probably the most relieved by the captain’s answer. “Well, thank you, Greez. I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Just wait until we’re in hyperspace so I can come and watch you. Good chasuka’s hard to come by and I don’t want you burning it. Plus, I do have a special something I'm saving it for, so don't expect to use it all."

“I take it this means that you wouldn’t be too mad if I was to tell you that I know where you keep the space waffles?” Cal asked hesitantly.

“I was wondering why my count’s been off,” teased Greez, though he did seem a bit annoyed. “Anyway, let me go put in the hyperdrive coordinates so we can get cooking.”

“I can’t wait,” said Cere.

Cal had never seen Cere smile so widely.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Any comments or critiques are welcome!


End file.
